Anonymously Yours
by MurielLeeJones
Summary: Spencer Reid gets himself entangled in the protest movements springing out of occupy wall streeet, and anonymous. Aaron Hotchner gets himself entangled in Spencer Reid. So, no religion this time, just politics, and romance, and hurt/comfort. Just those things.
1. Chapter 1

Anonymously yours

So I've been rambling on about religion, but I've decided to try something new—politics! Still my favourite genre is fan-fic, and what's fan-fic without a little slash? X-posted on my dA account:-

So, here's the facts: slash, well really pre-slash m/m, fandom: criminal minds, paring: hotch/reid, Warnings: non-explicit sex, implied non-con, implied **rape**, implied hotch/foyett, oh, and politics.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx

"Well, I'm going." Spencer picked up his hoodie and his mask and headed for the door.

"Spencer, I just don't think you've thought this through." Aaron hadn't intended to sound patronizing.

"I believe I have a right to protest." Now Spencer sounded like a teenager.

"Spencer." Aaron lapsed into exasperated silence. This wasn't about their age difference, it wasn't about their political differences, it was about Spencer doing something stupid; it was about his sub-ordinate, Dr. Reid, breaking the law.

"It's illegal to wear a mask in public in D.C."

Spencer stared back at Aaron. "It shouldn't be."

"Shouldn't?" Aaron's hackles rose, Spencer hadn't realized how far Aaron's reaction would go.

"I have a right to political protest, and this happens to be part of it."

Aarons face lined with anger. He pressed his lips together.

Too late the masked image of The Reaper flashed across Spencer's mind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Spencer had not intended to be having this conversation with Aaron, or with anyone at all for that matter. He would rather his boss, SSAIC Aaron Hotchner not know at all, but given the circumstance, he would. If he and Garcia wanted to join with the others at the protest they would have to wear masks. "Hi, I'm an FBI agent who believes that surveillance has gone too far, want to be my friend?" would not be a great way to meet anyone. Not that he intended meeting anyone. Whatever he had with Aaron had been going well, fine, going great, whatever.

It was going whatever enough that they were having an argument on a Monday evening at Spencer's apartment. It was comforting that Aaron felt he could drop by, it was not so comforting to find that Aaron had assigned for himself some say in how Spencer lived his life.

"Spencer?" Aaron was trying to put the hurt and anger aside, "This could be dangerous."

"What? You think the left is going to lynch me?"

"No, I think you swore to uphold the law."

"As I recall I swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America."

"So you're an oath keeper now?"

"You'd have a problem with that?"

But Spencer still hadn't walked out the door, Spencer had become unsure of himself, and that was what Aaron needed to take control.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

But Aaron found himself angry, because this was so stupid, and the image of Foyett in a mask stuck in his head, and the image of Spencer in a mask stuck in his craw.

"If you think you have such a right to protest in public, why do you think you need the mask? " Aaron paused and drummed his fingers softly on Spencer's table. "The truth Reid."

Reid? That hurt. "Because the network of camera's is too extensive to avoid. My face would be recorded; I would be tracked, if anyone with sufficient influence, including yourself, decided it should be."

"What makes you think I can take that kind of decision?"

Aaron hadn't denied that he could take that decision, Spencer noticed that, not just the lack of denial, but that either Aaron's defenses were down, unlikely right now, or it was intentional. He was either providing Spencer with accurate or inaccurate information. And Aaron hadn't denied that he would take that decision; Spencer was suddenly unsure if his trust in Aaron was well founded.

"Garcia will, not could, will, go to prison for a very long time, if she even appears to be involved in this."

Now Spencer turned to look straight at, into Aaron. "Are you telling me that you, as a member of the FBI, believe the government would be quite capable of putting a law abiding citizen in jail indefinitely? without trail? because they exercised their constitutional rights to free speech and public protest? "

"First, Spencer, I didn't say that. And second Spencer, when did you get to decide Garcia was a law abiding citizen. " Spencer's direct gaze was coldly returned.

Spencer swallowed.

"For that matter Spencer, you don't seem to have any intention of being a law abiding citizen."

"For that matter Aaron when did you start supporting the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA?" Spencer shouted in his head.

"I'm not a criminal Aaron."

"Haley would have been alive if we had the TRAPWIRE network available to us at the time."

Spencer opened and closed his mouth. Finally at a loss for what words could resolve he stepped towards Aaron and grabbed a hand, froze, and then pulled him close. He surreptitiously sent a text message with his left hand, pulling Aaron in closer than they had been before.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Aaron?"

This wasn't how Spencer had imagined falling into bed with his boss; though he had imagined falling into bed with his boss. It wasn't how Aaron imagined being with Spencer, he hadn't imagined that he would let himself get that close, that physically close to the young man. Now he had to confront either Reid, or his feelings, or both.

He felt nauseated at the touch he had allowed not an hour before. Not at Reid's touch, at the shadow of Foyett, and he wished he didn't. His hands balled up into fists, he let the anger was over him. Tears touched the side of his eyes.

"Aaron?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Spencer sat alone in his apartment. Aaron had as good as run of there. Now he had nearly confessed to being a terrorist, which he wasn't, but Aaron seemed to think he was, he had confessed an intention of breaking the law, and he had implicated Garcia, he had fucked his boss, and he had fucked up. Good and proper.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hotch?"

Spencer hadn't wanted to have this conversation at the office; but Aaron had been avoiding him.

Aaron Hotchner looked up, and in spite of all the hurt which he couldn't help feeling, the inexplicable feeling of vulnerability in submitting to Reid, the hateful vulnerability of being physically close, he couldn't help smiling at Reid. Also, he wouldn't cry now. Reid would never see that weakness. But the smile was hopelessly genuine.

"I, could we talk?"

Aaron shook his head.

"After?" Reid sounded hopeful.

"I don't think we should."


	2. Chapter 2

And again: So I've been rambling on about religion, but I've decided to try something new—politics! Still my favourite genre is fan-fic, and what's fan-fic without a little slash? So, here's the facts: slash, well really pre-slash m/m, fandom: criminal minds, paring: hotch/reid, Warnings: no sex, lots of politics. Implied underage prostitution.

Oh, don't own, don't make money, don't intend copyright infringement.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

" Poverty is the worst form of violence." - Gandhi

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

"What are you doing here?" Spencer's voice wasn't threating or angry, he was genuinely surprised.

Aaron looked down at the floor but raised his eyes to meet Spencer's. "I can't talk about it, and I'm sorry, but, " its not you, its me, would sound stupid. Spencer stepped back and allowed Aaron in. The mask was still on the table. Aaron picked it up and turned it over.

"It matters to me." Spencer's reply to Aaron's unspoken question.

"Today's protest isn't about surveillance; it's about government bailouts, and student debt and austerity."

"It's about making sure that everyone is treated fairly."

"That matters to me too Spencer." Aaron didn't need to add that no matter how much it mattered to him, he wouldn't be appearing on the street, ever.

Aaron wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the mask; but Aaron had called him Spencer, that was a good sign.

"You go to these things, at tremendous personal risk, and I don't know why Spencer."

And Spencer answered, as though he owed Aaron an answer, which he didn't, "Because I want the government, our government, us, to be fair. Because these people with no houses, and no jobs are just as much victims as the people we help."

Aaron couldn't think of anything nice, to say, so he didn't say it. But to Spencer who was used to stoic SSA Hotcher, he spoke volumes. Aaron hadn't stopped playing with the mask, he hadn't looked Spencer in the eye since the moment at the door, he had his back partially turned, but was looking mostly away from the door, he was dressed in a dark suit, although it was Saturday, he was carrying his guns, at least two guns. He was carrying his guns to Spencer's apartment. He had felt that violated?

"Are you implying that financiers are just as must criminals as the sociopaths we hunt down?"

Reid closed the door quietly. "Yes."

"The government doesn't agree with you."

"I lease my mind to the FBI, I didn't sell it."

"You have a problem with what we do?" Aaron flipped the mask back and forth.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Spencer." It was sudden. Hotch seemed flustered for an instant. "I know you are planning on going today" he looked away from the young man, "the District is going to be testing the surveillance drones."

"Testing?" Spencer's eyebrows shot up. He couldn't text Garcia—it would be too traceable, and admissible and implicate Aaron— and he had his own secure server down, he kept it down more often now. He thought he would be able to send a tweet on a partially anonymized account, but it was a risk. He shouldn't be at risk of his own government invading his privacy, violating his right to privacy for using his constitutional rights to protest publicly for the just society the Constitution offered.

"Why is this so important to you? You go to marches about government surveillance, and about, as you call it, economic justice. Every time you do that, as an agent, your risk being identified as a potential terrorist."

Spencer wanted to shout "That's bull shit! Only extremists believe that crap." But he didn't; because suddenly he was negotiating his job, and the whatever he had with Aaron was being redefined. Aaron, given that he really believed that BS about Reid being identified as a potential threat, was taking no small amount of risk either, warning him, and how did Aaron know anyhow? Did he have access to that type of information, was he routinely informed, why would he be routinely informed about this, was it something to do with Pakistan, was Aaron somehow involved in the predator drone attacks in Pakistan, was Aaron's name in the papers Bradley Manning had given over to Wikileaks? It wouldn't take that long to read them. Did Aaron know more than he was letting on? If Aaron really had information and any of this were true Reid knew he needed to get hold of Garcia now.

"I'm going." Spencer reached for his door.

"Don't be stupid."

Back to the parent child dynamic.

"Don't confuse ethics and stupidity."

"Spencer, you are being wasted marching down the street in a mask; willing the world to change around you because you don't think it's fair. You can do better than that."

"You teach Jack that life should be fair, it isn't, but that it should be, right?"

"This isn't about Jack." Aaron had the palms of his hands resting on Reid's table, unmovable.

"It's all about Jack, Aaron."

"It's about your breaking the law Spencer." Then there was a pause, "About your hacking."

Spencer froze. He hoped that Aaron wasn't quoting from a government report, he hoped Aaron was guessing.

"Breaking into the DOJ database, and sharing insider documents isn't going to make things fair."

Spencer remained in place. Garcia had talked, he hoped, failing that he was being tracked, or Hotch was better than he knew. Hotch had something on Garcia, something big. He had thought he could trust her, he had thought, for that matter, that he could trust Hotch. The documents were still on his machine, his mistake, encrypted sure, but if Garcia was with them, then there was no way, at this point, he could make the documents, and himself untraceable. Had Garcia done that?

"Reid we are not talking about global poverty, we are talking about your illegally obtaining government records pertaining to the 2008 bank collapse and government bailout."

"Aaron, You are talking about supporting a financial system that is devastating to middle and working class families in the United States, and you are talking about supporting a class of the super wealthy over the needs of your son."

Aaron Hotchner had not only been a prosecutor, he had lived with a disappointed wife, he knew how to fight. Spencer, in spite of having defended three doctoral theses, should be helpless—unless he was deeply emotionally invested.

"Spencer, accusing the wealthy of victimizing the poor isn't going to stand up in court as a defense in a criminal hacking trial."

"What if that's the truth Hotch?" Was Hotch trying to draw him into a confession? "What if I did that, and I did it to protect Jack? What if something was to happen to you Aaron, what would happen to Jack?"

"I provided for him Spencer." This was none of Spencer's damn business, but he felt compelled to defend himself as a father, Haley had taught him that he needed defend himself as a father. "He has a trust fund."

"What if that fails Aaron, because right now, that has happened, and it could happen again, markets could collapse, and they recovered, but if your trust or your pension fund went broke, you didn't recover. And to stop it happening again we need to change the law, and we need to expose what investment firms did."

"Is that a confession Spencer? At least of intent?"

"Aaron, first you warn me to stay away from harm, and then you trap me into a confession?"

"Is it a confession?"

Aaron was moving closer to Spencer. Spencer didn't move from his position at the door. He shook his head. "Did you record this Hotch?" his voice caught in his throat.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

Aaron Hotchner looked up, and then, quite by accident, smiled at Spencer. "I didn't know any of it and you haven't told me."

A tacit agreement to stay quiet?

"What I am sure of Spencer, is that you care about Jack, because he was the first actual person whose name you mentioned; that you learned to argue from your parents, because you used my son's welfare against me; and that while this in a way is about my son, it's about you. You know that Jessica would take care of Jack, or Rossi would, or Emily, or yourself. So this isn't about protecting Jack it's about protecting someone else, and that person is you."

Spencer was contemplating a full confession of all hacking activates and jail time as an exit strategy for this conversation; he just couldn't implicate Garcia.

Aaron didn't stare down adversaries and unsubs, he didn't talk them into a corner, he analyzed their vulnerabilities and offered them up in harsh light—and Spencer was too vulnerable to Aaron—and it was too late. He wondered if this was how an unsub felt when they confessed? It wasn't really a relief, it was frightening, but it was the only way out, it was a last resort not much better than drugs. Spencer ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth, and then licked his lower lip. If he told the truth it would be one less thing to be guilty about, as Charles Hankle had said, everyone was guilty of something.

Spencer nodded. "When my father left my mother there wasn't child support, they weren't divorced for a long time. She got some disability stipend, but I had to pay the bills."

"So you did what you had to do to keep your family together."

Spencer nodded, looking for a moment like a little boy.

"You hacked for money when you were 10?" Aaron just wanted to be clear, with Reid anything was possible, but this was unexpected, it wasn't in Reid's back ground check, Reid's extensive background check.

Reid looked puzzled. "Aaron, 10 yr olds can't hack."

Aaron realized what Spencer hadn't quite said. He thought of Jack. He felt sick, Spencer then was only three years older then than Jack now.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Just another thing that hadn't show up in Spencer's extensive background check.

And Aaron didn't step forward, or step up, or hold Spencer or offer comfort, because in doing so he would have to admit they sought solace in one another, he would have to admit that he had found comfort in Spencer's arms, so he stepped around Spencer, and opened the door just enough, an d stepped out the door, and left. But he wouldn't tell anyone about Spencer and Garcia, because it was in his power to protect Spencer now, even if he couldn't have before.


	3. Chapter 3

And again: So I've been rambling on about religion, but I've decided to try something new—politics! Still my favourite genre is fan-fic, and what's fan-fic without a little slash? So, here's the facts: slash, well really pre-slash m/m, fandom: criminal minds, paring: hotch/reid, Warnings: no sex, lots of politics. Implied underage prostitution, implied non-con/rape, cookies.

Oh, and if you think Reid woulnd't break the law, then Reid OOC. And for anyone who hasn't read much of what I write, my Hotch has issues, lots of them, and he struggles with them, and sometimes doesn't get it right at all. Who else is in the story? Garcia, Strauss, and well, everyone gets a mention, and Gideon shows up in his worst incarnation. And Morgan gets to eat the cookies.

Oh, don't own, don't make money, don't intend copyright infringement.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence and thereby eventually lose all ability to defend ourselves and those we love.—Julian Assange

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

"Erin," Aaron Hotcher strode down the street, gaze ahead, eyes dark, "we have a problem."

He would treat this phone call as though he were broadcasting to the entire FBI, it seemed that Spencer and Garcia had pulled something big; Spencer, Gracia was just speculation. Had Garcia known Reid before the FBI? If they had, they were both phenomenal actors, he could believe that of Spencer, but Garcia didn't have an ounce of guile in her. He had thought, now he wondered. He would treat this phone call as though he were broadcasting to the Department of Justice, and to the CIA.

"Reid is using." He hated to do this. But he needed Reid out of there before the whole thing blew.

Erin Strauss nodded a curt nod, mouth tight, even though no-one could see her.

"Treatment?"

Aaron steeled himself to say yes. But he couldn't. The thought of the little boy Reid must have been stuck in his head. He shook his head, although Erin couldn't see him, and although the denizens of D.C. and the camera's—he looked up at where he knew an enabled camera was installed-could. "Not yet, Erin; but I don't want him in the office."

Erin Strauss sighed to herself. This team was always in one sort of trouble or the next. "I'll make sure he gets the order."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx

Aaron Hotcher picked the file up off the café table.

"The original hard copy of Reid's background check?"

"That's not available."

"Don't make me pull rank, Erin."

"This is the FBI Aaron, you don't have rank over me here."

Aaron paused to let Erin Strauss catch up on the idea that this might not be an FBI problem.

"It's not available to me Aaron."

Good, now she and Aaron had cleared themselves of any involvement of what Reid was up to. Now, however, she had to figure out what Aaron and Reid were up to, and she wasn't sure that she really wanted to know that. She could ask Garcia, she was sure Garcia would be able to help her not know that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aaron ducked his head as he passed a camera. This morning they had seemed comforting.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx

"Garcia?" Spencer was whispering at her door. "Garcia?" He felt like an idiot, with his hoodie pulled over his face as best he could. "Garcia? We need to talk."

Spencer desperately needed to talk to Garcia. He had sent to DOJ documents, showing the possible charges, deeply and thoroughly researched, against the banking conglomerates that were never followed up upon by the department,-to Wiki leaks, she should know that, he thought she wouldn't be implicated, but she was the genius at covering an electronic trail, he needed her.

"He's here." She whispered back though her door, opened only a crack.

"Garcia?" Reid looked perplexed "Who?"

Aaron opened the door completely.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

"I don't know what you two have been up to." Aaron held up his hand to silence any comments from confessions, to denials, to gratitude, he knew much more about these two had been up to than he wanted. And he knew it went much further back than the BAU. And he knew that he was the only person who had enough data to know the aforementioned for sure, though Strass, maybe, and Lynch would suspect. The awkward thing, was, that being that Anonymous, was, well Anonymous, neither Reid nor Garcia knew exactly who the other was, he thought.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

So Aaron had sold him out to Strauss that's what the mandatory leave for his "issues" as about. Reid reminded himself to never trust anyone he slept with—even one of the six people in the world he could trust.

"You told her?"

"I told her you're a junkie."

Reid just looked tired.

Garcia looked wildly between them.

"Coffee? Cookies?" Garcia made a dash for the kitchen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

"What did you do that for?"

"Do you have ANY idea of how much trouble you and Garcia are in Reid?"

"You have no idea what I or anyone else did. " Spencer smiled, because Hotch didn't, and he knew that if Hotch didn't, then Hotch didn't have details, Garcia hadn't talked and if Garcia hadn't talked then he was safe.

"What's not in your background check?"

Now Spencer didn't feel in the least safe. Only Garcia knew the details.

"You know."

"It's not that Spencer. It's something bigger."

"I sold myself, because I had no choice, when I was ten years old, and you want something bigger?"

Gracia was standing in the doorway from the kitchen, holding a plate of cookies in one hand, the other over her mouth. She hadn't wanted Hotch to know that about Spencer; but she had told him when he had threated to turn them in to the CIA, it was the best cover they had, and it was documented. Plenty of things were documented; you just needed to be able to use them at the right time.

"You had choices."

"Ten year olds don't' have choices." And Aaron should have gone back to what he had wanted to say, about someone who had worked undercover in White Collar Crime when he was in college, and about some one with Spencer's back ground in hacking, and yes, he was sure of that—would have been able to, to what? There were plenty of Hacker geninii out there; this was just one with a chip on his shoulder, access to guns, socially awkward, a drug issue, and probably mental health problems, who had lied to his employer, that would be the FBI, worked in law enforcement, had been abused as a child, and had poor sexual boundaries.

What Aaron did was defend himself, he wasn't SSAIC Hotchner, he was, dammit, he was Spencer's, friend, Garcia's friend, Spencer's what? Lover? Spencer seemed to think that, and he had a right to speak his mind.

"You could have gone to social services."

Spencer opened his mouth, but couldn't find something useful to say. He knitted his eyebrows together for a second, and then he shook his head. He wanted to ask Hotch when he had become so arrogant, but that wasn't the problem he had to deal with. He needed to know what Aaron knew, and to do that he had to shut down what he felt; he had to take control of the conversation.

"I could have gone to social services. I could have used the system. Do you believe the system would have given me a fair outcome?"

Spencer was so smooth when he chose to be, and he was quiet and poised, and handsome, he had been beautiful when he was younger, but now he was handsome. There was no sign of tension in his posture, hands in his pockets, his back a little swayed. The slight rock, toes to heels, heels to toes, gave away the level of stress he was under to Aaron; and then Aaron remembered that would be intentional. Probably be intentional, either it was an inadvertent truth, or a calculated lie.

"A fair outcome, Spencer, would be where a child was protected from abusive adults, where a child has a safe place to be."

Garcia froze. She had told Spencer that she had given him all the details from the actual background checks on their team. She and Spencer had known this could go wrong, they knew they needed to know who they could trust, and Garcia had sold out Morgan's secrets, and Emily's and JJ's, and Rossi, poor darling Rossi, so strong, but she couldn't bring herself to tell the full truth about Aaron Hotcher, so Spencer didn't know that Aaron's father was abusive, and he didn't know the full extent of what Foyett had done to Hotch. Spencer didn't know. And worse, she had confessed, the only thing she had confessed, because she needed something, to confess to Hotch, was that she had found, pulled and read all the real checks. Ergo Aaron thought that Spencer knew.

Spencer stayed calm, the objective here was to goad Aaron into losing his temper; to give Spencer the upper hand in finding out what Aaron knew. Spencer knew, after Monday night, that Aaron Hotchner was ruled by emotion, and that's why he kept his feelings so deeply under control.

"Aaron," the tenor of Spencer's voice, just a little higher than expected, but so flowing, "what does an wealthy attorney from a comfortable family know, really know about, not read about, not have seen, know about the choices of a terrified child? "

Then Aaron landed the slap across Spencer's face. It was still controlled.

"No, no, no, Hotch, Spencer." Garcia was all over the place. She still had the plate of cookies in her hands.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

Neither of the men moved again. "You had a choice Spencer, and you chose to break the law, when you could have chosen to use it. And that's what you're doing now."

"Maybe I, not Garcia, I, and no one else, felt the best way to proceed was to share the DOJ information on the banksters."

Aaron smiled, Spencer had said banksers?

The look on Spencer's face was so close to a kicked puppy that Aaron nearly felt bad. "The law won't do it, Aaron, the law had it's opportunity, now is the time for the people."

"The law didn't do what Spencer?" Aaron was back in control.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx

And Spencer broke his own rule about not trusting anyone you had slept with. He met Aaron's gaze. "The law used me. Gideon used me as bait. And he didn't do it alone, he coulnd't have done it alone, Rossi must have known there was an informant, and with what I gave them the informant would have been a child."

And Aaron nearly asked Spencer why he had trusted the law.

"Because, Aaron, I thought they would keep me safe, because that's what my parents told me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm taking these to Morgan." Gracia made a dash for the door.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

Hotch took a step closer in to Spencer; and Spencer knew he had lost this round. His sexual past was so dirty and so compromised that Hotch probably thought that was all he had meant to Spencer, some sort of psyco-sexual act, repeating this mistreatment at the hands of other men.

"If you knew what it was like Spencer to be hurt that way, then what kind of sadist do you have to be to do what you did to me?"

Spencer was wrong, he had won this round, Hotch had lost his temper. Hotch was completely vulnerable. His next move should be to direct Hotch to the current situation, to allow Hotch to challenge him to defend himself, and when Hotch engaged, hopefully, he would be so angry he would accuse Spencer of whatever it was that he knew. On a practical note however, Hotch had already hit him once, and twice was not something Spencer was looking forward to, and Spencer wasn't entirely sure of what he had done to Hotch. Defusing this thing might make more sense now.

And Spencer was a little afraid.

"What did I do Aaron?" It was an inadvertent squeak, but Spencer didn't back away.

And Aaron didn't answer, and he didn't look away, and he was so close to crying.

A look of utter concern crossed Spencer's face.

"You didn't want to?" Spencer barely held himself back from touching Hotch again. And he didn't add that Aaron did have a choice, he could have said no, because sometimes you can't say no. And Spencer did understand that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

The story that came with the cookies was perplexing and deeply concerning. Morgan thought that keeping this matter to himself would be for the best.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

Authors note:-

Kk dear readers, and sundry friends—this was intended as a bridging chapter to introduce what Hotch might or might not know, and to introduce the presence of Erin Strauss, and the incidental involvement of Morgan—or is that so incidental?-and then I got to thinking about law and betrayal—and sex and control , and well, it got out of hand. I rarely write anything other than pure angst, so the whole plot thing is a bit of a deviation for me, bare with me? Hopefully more soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Aaron would have landed the blow if he didn't know that Reid wouldn't hurt him. He didn't hit the wall, because Aaron Hotchner didn't do that, he didn't cry, because Aaron Hotcher didn't do that, he didn't yell, because Aaron Hotchner didn't do that, and he didn't blink, because he knew how vulnerable he was to what Spencer Reid might have found out. Both about him personally and about the surveillance, about his deal with the devil in Afghanistan.

"Why did you do it Spencer?" He was menacing, intentionally, overbearingly menacing.

And Spencer put his trust in the fact that Hotch had slapped him, not killed him.

"What Aaron, what did I do?"

That was really the problem. Aaron didn't know what Spencer had done. Chronologically Spencer had sold himself for sex, informed the FBI via Jason Gideon, finished high school aged 13, gone to college, hacked the FBI, joined the FBI—under Gideon, become addicted to drugs, worked with Anonymous, hacked the DOJ, and fucked him. And actualy that didn't make sense. What Aaron really wanted to know was why Spencer had, and even in thinking about it he felt sick, why Spencer had taken him.

For months now Spencer had been his primary relationship. They didn't talk about it, nobody talked about it, he didn't know what he should call it, Spencer wasn't his boyfriend, he was more than a friend, a "bromance" certainly wasn't the right word, but after what they had done, what Spencer had done, they were something different. And Aaron wanted this relationship, whatever it was.

"Why did you" pause, he wasn't in control of this, and he was going to allow Spencer to see him vulnerable, he felt cold, "why did you take me?" And he looked straight into Spencer, not challenging him, just with an utter honesty that left Spencer breathless.

Spencer stood his ground. This Aaron he believed wasn't manipulating him. Since Jason left he had been hard to manipulate, and Aaron would know what. Of course if he knew that he would have to be good, he would have to be this good. Spencer decided to answer honestly, after all everything that he cared about was suddenly on the line, his job, his team, the whatever with Hotch, his freedom, it could all be gone in the wrong flurry of words. Spencer chewed his bottom lip briefly.

Hotch sat down on the sofa, feet on the floor, elbows on his knees, head in his hands. Somehow the next few minutes were going to determine the rest of his life one way or another. He could turn Spencer in for hacking, probably for much more, or he could spend the rest of his life with this man. He knew which he wanted, in spite of how afraid he was just sitting near to Spencer, he did know that he wanted Spencer Reid.

Reid sat down on the sofa, he was so close to Aaron, turned slightly toward Aaron, he set a hand down where Aaron could take it if he wanted. Everything belonged in the next few sentences.

He knew he could apologize and he knew that would be useless—Aaron wanted to the truth and the truth was so much more than an apology could ever be.

"You are so strong Aaron, you're always strong for me, you are sometimes so strong that you get lost in it, that I can't find you in it, and when you talked about losing Haley, and you were so open and so vulnerable I wanted to protect you, I wanted you to feel safe, to know that I was strong enough to watch out for you, I wanted to give you something, an escape, a pleasure, a safety you hadn't had before."

Aaron looked at Spencer again, and he asked a question. "Garcia didn't tell you what Foyet did to me, did she?" just a whisper. Aaron looked away.

Spencer opened his mouth, he had thought, from what Garcia had said, that she had shared with him everyone's complete records, she had told him some quite intimate things, the stories from which private tragedies and blackmails are made. She had tried to protect Hotch from even Spencer?

Aaron just about crushed the offered hand.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

"Garcia, are you sure about all of this?"

She nodded. Morgan was her best friend, the man she loved more than any man she would ever love.

"So let me get this straight; you and Reid hacked the DOJ, Hotch knows, Strauss may, if Kevin looks into it you and Pretty Boy are S.O.L; and you think Hotch and Strauss are hiding something because of how this is being handled?"

He ate another cookie. They were good cookies, they should be, he was about to break the law for Penelope Garcia. He wasn't about to break and enter into Hotch's house, but he could walk in and out of Hotch's office with impunity, even if someone saw him they wouldn't ask questions, Penny would see to the cameras. Unfortunately, he couldn't tear the place apart, and he had no idea what he was looking for.

"You joined the FBI as a deal to get out of a Hacking charge?"

"They, the FBI, and the everyone, really, was going to charge me with attempting to steal government secrets,"

Morgan knew better than to ask if the charge was true; he doubted if it was anything as benign as Prince Harry's phone number. He also thought "attempted" was probably purposeful obfuscation; Penny Garcia would have obtained that information. What she had done with the information would probably make an interesting story.

"and then they came to me, and said they had this offer, and that if I worked for you guys they wouldn't charge me, but it had to be specifically the BAU."

Morgan's eyebrows knitted together for a moment. "The BAU Garcia? we didn't even know you had a record."

"Its not a record," Penny huffed at the thought, "and Gideon knew, and he told Hotch, and when Hotch got an idea of what Reid was up to, I was the first person he came to." She looked deflated, "Reid doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?"

"Doesn't know that I was hacker before I came to the BAU!"

"Doesn't he?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

Spencer couldn't think of what to say. He could potentially mention that Hotch was about to break his hand, but that didn't matter. He had violated something, Aaron had been unable to say no because, because he was Aaron and he didn't blink, and he hadn't blinked for Foyett, he hadn't blinked when Foyett raped him, he hadn't blinked when Spencer took him. This was it, this was the moment when Aaron Hotchner had blinked; this was the moment when Spencer needed to be here, and he had absolutely nothing to say.


	5. Chapter 5

And again: —politics! Still my favorite genre is fan-fic, and what's fan-fic without a little slash? So, here's the facts: slash, well really pre-slash m/m, fandom: criminal minds, paring: hotch/reid, Warnings: sex, this chapter is smutty, hopefully with in guidelines, so non-explict smut, politics, implied underage prostitution, implied non-con/rape, no cookies. Implied: Garcia/lynch, and—if you choose to read it that way-Straus/Ambassador Prentice, Strauss/Rossi, and Strauss/Blake. Sorry FF! I cleaned up the smut to be a series of innuendos and implications, hope that's better.

Oh, and if you think Reid wouldn't break the law, then Reid OOC. And for anyone who hasn't read much of what I write, my Hotch has issues, bunches of them, and he struggles with them, and sometimes doesn't get it right at all. Who else is in the story? Garcia, Strauss, and well, everyone gets a mention, and Gideon shows up in his worst incarnation. And I'm pretending the neither Reid nor Hotch have had any cannon relationships other than Haley.

Oh, don't own, don't make money, don't intend copyright infringement. Oh, and re-write on ch5 to meet site requirements.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Kevin."

The reflected face hovering in the computer screen beside his was that of for Special Agent Jason Gideon. Also reflected was the gun that Gideon held to Kevin's jaw.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Erin Strauss set her phone down. She would need to let Aaron Hotchner know. She would also need to make sure that the Garcia girl and dr. Reid didn't. It was probably too late for that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Penelope Garcia turned white. She mouthed her classic "no".

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morgan's eyes narrowed as he watched the image of Jason Gideon forcing Kevin Lynch out of his chair, and out of his house.

"Goodbye Penelope." Jason said it so softly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Erin Straus picked up the phone and dialed Aaron Hotchner on his alternate line. He didn't answer.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Spencer allowed Aaron to reach for him first. He allowed Aaron to unbutton his shirt first. It wasn't as though he was transfixed to the spot, he was waiting quietly, years of being paid had given him some skills, he kept his breathing even, let himself watch his companion's hands, he relinquished control. He was not being forced; he was giving Aaron the chance to explore his desires, and Spencer's body, on Aaron's terms-because that is what Aaron needed to feel safe. Spencer, still clothed, only his shirt hanging open to expose his chest, his smattering of hair, his pink nipples, felt entirely naked—more than stripped down—exposed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Garcia opened her laptop. She hardly went anywhere without it, and while that might seem like a quirk the untraceable machine—virtually untraceable machine—was her greatest asset now. Morgan's laptop screen contained a frozen image of Kevin Lynch being forced at gun point to leave his appartment with Jason Gideon. When meant that Gideon had access to Kevin's secure location. Gideon had sent the live feed to Morgan's machine which meant that he was either in their internal network, or tracking Morgan in person, which was bad and rather unlikely, or worse, in via Trapwire. Garcia turned off her cell phone, and Morgan's cell phone. Jason Gideon was in the system, one way or another—and that meant that Garcia could find Jason in the system—one way or another.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Erin Strauss dialed again, this time Jason Gideon. She had a disturbing image forwarded to her from an unknown machine.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aaron's hands moved down to Spencer's belt, the buttons on his Levi's, exposing coloured briefs. Aaron smiled, and looked at Spencer.

"Reid?"

Spencer nodded.

Spencer's eyes briefly closed at the intimacy of Aaron's touch. He licked his lips and opened his eyes to see a focused, almost grim looking, Aaron Hotchner. Spencer knew he wanted Aaron, and was so, so afraid of taking what he oughtn't, of hurting Aaron again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was no reply on Gideon's secure line, there was no reply on Gideon's personal line, there was no response to her e-mail.

Erin ground her teeth.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was no response on either Hotch's or Spencer's cells; or on Spencer's disposable cell. Garcia paused she had already revealed so much more to Morgan than she intended. The DOJ hack was done and released, both to WikiLeaks and to TYLER. He absolutely needn't know more.

The disposable cell Gracia was holding rang.

She didn't answer; neither she nor Spencer ever returned calls.

She threw it in the washing machine and started the hot and dirty cycle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Morgan, do you have a landline?" This wasn't a nearly hysterical, overly anxious Garcia, this was more focused than Morgan had ever seen her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aaron took his own shirt off; and sat facing Spencer on Gracia's sofa. Spencer smiled. Aaron took both Spencer's hands in his and led them over his own body, guiding Spencer to touch the scars Foyett had left, helping Spencer feel both the strong muscles of chest and back, and the knotted patchwork of damage that would never be quite gone.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Garcia picked a quaint piece of antiquated technology out of her bag.

Derrick Morgan had always wondered what she kept in there, make up, cupcakes, spare stockings, "Shades of grey", and apparently computer technology from before Clooney was born.

"It's an external dial up modem, where's your landline?"

Morgan frowned, "Won't he be able to trace it?"

"He won't expect, and it's all encrypted. If Kevin can get to it he will be able to use the link."

Derrick helped Garcia plug the device in. "Don't you need an old machine for that?"

"Nope", Penny used another division of her drive to log into an Undernet server in Romania. She sent out a ping. Now she waited.

"Cruptobunny?" Morgan raised his eyebrows.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ambassador?" Erin closed her eyes and sighed with relief, a friendly voice at last.

"Can you contact Emily, privately? Out of the system. We need her back in Quantico."

"No Dave isn't as good as I had hoped."

Erin gave in to half a smile.

"Yes, I miss you too."

"Very much so."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They, Spencer and Aaron, paused. Spencer's eyes traced every bit of Aaron, and Aaron returned the favor. Then Aaron nodded, and pulled Spencer closer. Spencer was glad of the lube he stored in his pants pocket, Gideon had as good as forced him to do that, Gideon would never have thought that it would pay off like this.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Will, dammit, this is the tenth, literally the tenth time I've called you, please call me back." JJ hadn't ment to sound pleading, she hadn't intended to curse in front of her little boy, but she couldn't contact Will, and she was nervous. She gathered Henry up, as per Reid's instructions, dressed him in his Halloween costume, let her hair hang in her face, picked up a manila envelope, dropped out a single passport, and headed for the airport.

"Trust me, I need you to." Was what Reid had said, and now she had received a ping from Garcia, and now was the time for her to get the hell out of here. Had anyone warned Alex? Did Alex have anything to be warned about?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Erin called Alex from her private line, probably not all which secure, but nothing—apparently-was. This was more complicated than she had intended.

"Yes, come in immediately."

Erin fluttered her eye lashes at no one in particular.

"No, Alex, it is that important."

"Alex, I wish I could say I cared that he is here this weekend, but I don't."

Alex put down her landline phone, wondered if it was secure at all, or if Erin was hanging her out to dry again. Last time had been too reminiscent of the Jameson Raid.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Now he had to trust Reid. He had taken in the scent of Reid, the taste of Reid, his sinewy physical presence, his hazel eyes, his gentle touch, how restrained, and how purposeful Reid was. Aaron didn't think he had been handled with such care, such love in his life, all he wanted was to be taken by Spencer. Slowly, carefully, thoughtfully Spencer allowed Aaron to give himself over.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Authors notes-

The plot got out of hand! Tyler is an equivalent of wikileaks, which is run by anonymous.

The Jameson raid was a failed raid during the Second Anglo-Boer war. It was led by one Jameson at the behest of Cecil John Rhodes—the territorial governor. It was a military disaster, which was put off, by the British home command, on Jameson, who refused, at his trail (yep, that much of a disaster) to say anything against Rhodes. It appeared that Rhodes knew that the raid could never succeed and was extraordinarily dangerous—he had sent Jameson into an ambush. Rumor has it that Rhodes and Jameson had been, at some point, lovers.


	6. Chapter 6

here's the facts: slash, well really pre-slash m/m, fandom: criminal minds, paring: hotch/reid, Warnings: sex, this chapter no smut, well, implied smut and a little nudity, politics, no cookies. Implied: Garcia/lynch, and—if you choose to read it that way-Straus/Ambassador Prentice. Implied non-con (its obtuse, but a warning is a warning) Gideon/Reid.

Oh, and if you think Reid wouldn't break the law, then Reid OOC. And for anyone who hasn't read much of what I write, my Hotch has issues, lots of them, and he struggles with them, and sometimes doesn't get it right at all. Who else is in the story? Garcia, Strauss, and well, everyone gets a mention, and Gideon shows up in his worst incarnation. And I'm pretending the neither Reid nor Hotch have had any cannon relationships other than Haley. And trapwire is an CCTV survaliance system, see the URL at the end. Chapter 5 is replaced, chapter 6 has minor edits, and as of today, chapter 7 is new!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Trust invites betrayal"—

idk who the quote comes from, I got it from my friend Martin, in whose life it was true.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aaron grinned at him. He could live for that smile.

Gracia's couch would probably never be the same again. Aaron thought it would be best to buy her a new one—though this one looked irreplaceable.

Spencer stretched, whoever that was had been right, sex, good sex, sex that you wanted, did make you sleepy, and there were some things he needed to think about. Just right now thinking seemed troublesome. He sauntered over to the kitchen door, obviously comfortable in Garcia's space. "Coffee?"

Aaron nodded. Silly grin still attached to his face. Then he stretched out his beautiful, and oh wasn't it, body. Aaron felt under the couch reaching for the stuffed toys Garcia had previously had arranged on the couch, before their, uh, encounter. Sex. Before they had sex on the couch. Before Spencer made love to him on the couch. Things had changed since this silly bunny had last set on the couch.

Spencer wandered back in, naked, with a mug in each hand, and watched bemused as Aaron played, played! with the toys. He picked up the rabbit he appeared to favor, and perched it on his shoulder, "Apraxia wants coffee."

Spencer froze.

"That's his name, Garcia names then all." Aaron had stood up and set the toy aside.

"Spencer?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Garcia waited. She had every idea of what Spencer and Hotch were probably doing on her couch, they were so transparent everyone knew; either that or they had had shoot out and Spencer was lying dead. She hoped they had put Apraxia where she couldn't see, either the former or the latter.

It was stupid, she knew it was stupid, but the toy bunny was the only one who had been thought it all with her. Though her parents divorce, through losing her mom and her step dad, through dropping out of college, through hacking, and being caught, through joining the FBI, though being shot, though falling in love with Kevin, and in love with Derrick. She sighed, that bunny had seen a lot, he had probably seen rather more this afternoon!

She chewed the end of her pen as she searched through code. Penelopy Garcia was not a patient woman. And now she was waiting. She was waiting for Morgan to get back from Aaron's office. If she were lucky Hotch would have left one tiny little piece of data about, some detail, some letters, something, so she would know what to hack. Without some explanation of what Hotch was up to, who Hotch was working with, she and Spencer might well be toast. Unless, Spencer was that good in bed. Garcia, briefly, smiled.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Derrick Morgan moved seamlessly though the streets of D.C. and Quantico. He was his own shadow. He liked this, he liked not having to answer to anyone, to anyone but Garcia, and to both Garcia and his mother he would always answer, he was made that way. He knew what he needed, maybe he didn't know the look of it yet, he knew about the DOJ files, he knew that Hotch knew about the DOJ files, and about Garcia's history, about Garcia's deal with the CIA and with Gideon, and he knew that Hotch well enough to know that he wouldn't be happy about any of it. What Morgan didn't know was what anyone else knew. What he didn't know was what Jason Gideon wanted now.

. Derrick Morgan knew what he needed to do. What he needed was to get his hands on the paper trail, and delete it

"Emily?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He guessed he was a shadow caught up in himself because he hadn't notice her until she had touched him—a dangerous move. He was paused outside Aaron's office a dangerous place to be. Emily could read him like a book. He hadn't been expecting her.

"I got called back, I was here anyhow, do you know why?"

"Hotch call you?"

"No." The ooooooo was too long and drawn and out, and tone just a little curious, the cock of Emily's head. She knew he was fishing. "Straus." Now he had seen her she had to choose between honest and a complex deception, she had done that once.

Morgan nodded in acknowledgment of her statement. He looked her in the eye and opened Hotch's door.

"Morgan?"

"I'm just getting some things from Hotch's office." His cover was blown, totally blown, big time, but Emily owed him, big time.

This had been his office, where would he keep things that were important? Too important to be kept in an obvious place like a safe? Morgan stood behind Aaron's desk. Aaron like to watch them, he would put something important where he could see it easily. He was cautious, he would make sure it was locked, he was—sensibly—paranoid, it would be disguised as something unimportant, something for daily use. Morgan's hand reached for a picture of the team, then stopped, that was the decoy. He wished he could sit down for a moment, just take his time to think things through. The cameras were off, thanks to Garcia, he knew that, he needed to be out before Emily came out of Director Strauss' office. He also needed out without leaving a trace. Without leaving more of a trace.

He reached for his own set of keys, Aaron had never asked for them back. Keep your enemies close and your friends closer. He opened a filing drawer on the left side of Aaron's desk—his right hand would be holding a gun, he reached down, he was about the same size as Hotch, it would be the first file Hotch touched, he found file that had more wear on it than any other. Morgan seamlessly slid it into his pack.

He paused. He looked up at the dead eye of the camera, in a moment he would walk back into the field of vision of the FBI, the CIA, with them MI5, RCMP, LAPD CT, NYPD CT, Scotland Yard, LA-JRIC and probably Mossad; you didn't have an international satellite system for a local show only. As Morgan stood up from the chair in Aaron's office the door opened.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That was quick." Unusually quick for a trip from London, less than an hour, Emily must have been in town. It was sensible of Ambassador Prentice not to mention as much, but still annoying.

"What's compromised?" Emily was always to the point with Director Strauss, Strauss couldn't blame her really, their relationship was always fraught with the history between herself and the Ambassador.

What had seemed like a simple alliance, family matters aside, was suddenly complicated. Was Emily planted in D.C. so that she could get here ahead of other players? Emily knew something was compromised, was she fishing? Was she working with Gideon? Strauss wondered if her call had been overhasty. She reached into her desk drawer for the Beretta she kept hidden there, she might not be overly feminine in many things, but a lady should always have the right gun.

"Kevin Lynch appears to have been kidnapped by Jason Gideon. He, I believe it was Jason, contacted me with a video earlier. No demands, just a short clip of him holding Lynch at gun point."

Emily wondered if she should mention that a similar clip might be made of the two of them right now. "Did he say anything?" Emily didn't let on that she knew Erin had her hand on a gun.

"No. As I said the clip was short. I don't know where it originated, nothing a simple trace could find; and I don't think Garcia should see it."

Emily waited for a moment, "Because of her relationship with Kevin?"

"Because of her relationship with Gideon."

This was getting to interesting.

"Hotch called me." Emily thought she had better get all the necessary cards on the table, they might need to act short handed without Kevin to help. In this world they acted as equals. She wasn't surprised to have received the calls from Hotch and Erin in short order, the upped tension between the calls had been a surprise. "So, Erin, did something happen?"

"Reid may know."

"Does that matter? He should be easily contained by Hotch." They both smiled.

"He may be with the Anonymous. We pulled him from duty."

Reid would have virtually uncontrolled access to Aaron Hotchner, and to the CIA special unit investigation of the FBI internal hacking. Aaron had been so paranoid he wouldn't keep them on his machine. He had thought the file would be safest on the FBI campus, where anyone who came in and out was checked and recorded. Aaron thought it was less likely that anyone would look for a paper file. Anyone except Reid; or Morgan?

Emily turned on her heels, tasteful Italian leather heals, a woman should always have the right shoes, opened the office door, drew her gun and walked over to Aaron's office, opened Aaron's office door, gun held forward, Strauss following, ready to shoot.

Morgan looked up as he was standing up, file in hand.

"Did Dr. Reid put your up to this? Or Gideon?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Spencer closed his mouth, his eyebrows remained drawn together, he still held two cups of coffee, one for each hand, he was still as naked as the day he was born. "She's Apraxia?"

Aaron had stood up. Something had changed, Spencer suddenly seemed helpless, blindsided by a Bunny name?

"Was that Garcia's name for the CIA hack?"

Spencer's eyes went wide. Aaron knew it, he knew it all. Why had Aaron slept with him? why had Aaron let him? why had Aaron let himself be so vulnerable if he was just going to turn Spencer in? Had Gideon told Aaron? Were Aaron and Gideon still in contact?

Aaron hadn't known what Gideon had done to Spencer, he still didn't know the full extent. Aaron would never have worked their earlier confrontations like he had if he knew, even started to know, how Jason had manipulated Spencer. Aaron was many things, but he was never cruel. Was he looking for a confession from Spencer? Spencer had been promised Apraxia's safety if he, Spencer agreed to work for the FBI, for the BAU, for Jason Gideon, and Gideon hand ment more than one thing by work.

"I love you." Spencer whispered. He did, and for all he knew this might be the last chance he got to say it as a free man. Aaron, Spencer thought, was not the kind of man to let love stand in the way of the law.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

E.M. Forster - "If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country"


	7. Chapter 7

Warnings: sex, this chapter no smut, well, implied smut and a little nudity, politics, no cookies. Implied: Garcia/lynch, and—if you choose to read it that way-Straus/Ambassador Prentice. Implied non-con (its obtuse, but a warning is a warning) Gideon/Reid.

Oh, and if you think Reid wouldn't break the law, then Reid OOC. And for anyone who hasn't read much of what I write, my Hotch has issues, lots of them, and he struggles with them, and sometimes doesn't get it right at all. Who else is in the story? Garcia, Strauss, and well, everyone gets a mention, and Gideon shows up in his worst incarnation. And I'm pretending the neither Reid nor Hotch have had any cannon relationships other than Haley.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Whose Silence are you?" Thomas Merten

Aaron Hotchner was many things, and fierce loyalty to those who loved him was one. Spencer Reid was a complicated man, sometimes closed, sometimes internal, but loving.

So against his own better judgment Spencer, naked and with a cup of coffee in each hand, walked over to sat down on the couch; waiting for Aaron to join him. He still didn't know what Aaron knew. What Spencer knew now that he hadn't known a minute ago was that Garcia was "Apraxia", the hacker whose escape from prosecution Gideon had promised him, if he, Spencer were to work for Gideon, to continue to service Gideon, to submit to Gideon's power—and out of love, out of respect, out of gratitude, out of understanding and empathy for Apraxia, Spencer had agreed. He passed Aaron a mug as Aaron joined him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morgan smiled. And now he knew he didn't have the file he needed, the dog earing was too even. He also knew that Prentiss, Hotch and Strauss were part of some sort of working group, probably CIA from the vague hints by Aaron of his time in Pakistan. He knew they didn't know about Garcia at least her DOJ hack, anyone except Hotch that was, or they would have been there, not at Garcia's apartment, at his right now, and they didn't suspect Garcia, or they would be talking to him, Prentiss misusing his trust again, not pointing guns at him, right now.

"Agent Morgan?" It was a question, not a command. That was good, now, in addition, Morgan knew that Strauss wasn't sure of his involvement, if any, in the DOJ hack that, in her mind Reid, and in his Reid and Garcia, had created. Morgan didn't know, but was quite sure that, Prentiss would be sure of his involvement, albeit without direct evidence, she was both a profiler and an undercover CIA agent, she knew how secrets worked. He also knew, and this was of concern, that this would be a moment of truth, and of testing his trust, again, how many times would he allow Prentiss to do that? could he do that again? Garcia had not mentioned JJ, was JJ with Prentiss as she was the last time?

Prentiss didn't set down her gun. Was this an act for Strauss, or was this Prentiss holding him deliberately at gun point, was this an actual threat in which she could pull the trigger, and have enough clout, enough connections, enough power behind her that there would be no investigating? He had seen Emily Prentice exercise that power once before, when she had the team cleared of wrong doing after the international manhunt, and shootout with Ian Doyle. Prentiss motioned to Strauss, that she, Strauss, should retrieve Morgan's backpack. So Prentice outranked Strauss here, or did she? Strauss would, in all likelihood, have had to call Prentiss for the meeting to be here. Equals? Somehow Strauss would have to be more skilled than Morgan had realized. He had let his dislike of Strauss cloud his judgment.

Morgan processed his internal monologue, Garcia had said that Hotch suspected her involvement, and that his impression of what they had done was fairly accurate, so Hotch had outside information, and the only person with outside information would be was Kevin. Hotch had begun suspecting Reid, but when? after the Hotch-Reid thing began? After they began getting close? Or had he begun suspecting before that? Morgan kept his anger in check, he had no idea if Hotch had used Reid, or if he was, and he hoped this, informing Reid and Garcia. Was he sharing information to protect Reid and Garcia? Hotch's life was tethered to the law, but he was loyal to the people he loved. Had Reid inadvertently damaged that trust? Had Reid inadvertently let his guard down? Had Reid allowed something to slip? Was Kevin not necessarily involved? Strauss, Prentice, Hotch and Kevin Lynch, Kevin was in Europe on "sensitive" CIA business, so that followed, they were all CIA, and were part of a working group looking into internal United States hacking of the DOJ? or looking into anonymous and had stumbled on this? or following Gracia's trail? And given the team they had assembled the CIA must already had suspicions when the projected started. Had Kevin approached Hotch, or Struass with his suspicions? Morgan's monologue reached a logical, a possible, conclusion, Kevin had been taken because he was the only party linking the two groups, the only party with whom both groups had important connections, in all likely hood Kevin Lynch was working with the CIA group.

What of Gideon—in the wind—Jason Gideon?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Did you know?" Spencer was looking at the rabbit which he had taken from Hotch's hands. He bit is lower lip.

Aaron Hotchner shook his head, "Reid?" He knew how easily betrayed Spencer felt, and now that he was clearer on what had happened with Jason Gideon, he knew, yet another reason Spencer felt easily betrayed, he didn't want to be one more. He continued, the truth was the best route to trust, "I knew that Garcia was Apraxia, that she, along with other's had hacked the FBI, and that the FBI had made a deal to avoid prosecution, Gideon insisted that she be assigned as the BAU teach analyst. Strauss, Gideon and myself know. Spencer?"

Reid looked away, avoided his own conflict by not meeting Aaron's gaze. He was visibly angry. Hotch didn't see Spencer angry often, he had only seen Spencer angry when Spencer was using, or more likely in withdrawal, and when he confessed the Emily lie to the team, Spencer was only angry when there was an overriding reason, something that overwhelmed logic. "Spencer?"

There were few people who fitted the profile of someone who would hack the FBI, and the DOJ with impunity, with no regard for personal consequence. Added to that, and worse, with Reid's fraught nature with law enforcement and authority and his reliance on the anti-state rhetoric of occupy and anonymous, his relating to the position statement of the Oath Keepers, with his knowledge of the documents leaked by Bradley Manning, his question of the surveillance state in the United States, Reid could quite easily be questioning what Aaron had done in Pakistan and find out. Reid had every right to be angry, he hardly showed it, was he going to do something irrational? With Reid's history, now chrystalized in Aaron's mind, with the outside—let it be outside—chance that Reid would develop serious mental health issues he might become irrational. Clearly he had already done something irrational sleeping with Aaron Hotchner. Aaron wondered if his next move should be to defuse Reid, confront, or comfort him.

"Did you know?"

Aaron had just confessed to knowing, but now was the time to understand. "I knew about Garcia. I suspected your involvement, I wasn't sure if the two of you had worked together, anonymous is, after all, anonymous, I wasn't sure of your relationship before the BAU."

Reid shook his head, he wanted to ask, to touch, to lean on Hotch for comfort, but they were both naked and that was awkward. "Gideon knew. He knew for years, after I had finished my Doctorates at CalTech he called me and told me to join the BAU. He told me that if I joined he would see to it that Apraxia, Garcia" he corrected himself, "Garcia wasn't prosecuted. I never knew Garcia was Apraxia. Gideaon made sure we saw each other every day and never knew. I hoped he had shot himself, I still hope he does." Reid added as an afterthought, "I don't know how he knew it was me."

Aaron added another piece of information to his list on Spencer Reid, Reid was even angrier and far better at self-control than Aaron had realized. And Aaron wondered how hard it was for someone so internal to reach out. Nakedness set aside he pulled Spencer closer, Aaron let Spencer lay his head on his shoulder; let Reid trust, even if, and Hotch feared this was true, even if Spencer's trust in him was about to be betrayed.

Spencer continued. "Jason Gideon turned my childhood, what was left of it a private nightmare, as you pointed out, I should have been able to trust the government." Spencer laughed, it was an odd tight laugh, not something that Aaron wanted to hear.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morgan glanced down at the file, miscellaneous records of missing coders. Morgan's lower lip tightened, but his face didn't show any other emotion. This was the file he needed. It was unlikely it was the file Emily and Strauss needed, this wasn't the kind of thing for which you threatened one of your own with immanent death, or at least arrest. Hotch had probably put it here for Reid. Morgan realized he was jumping to conclusions based on an unstable relationship. He handed the file to Emily, ignoring Emily's instruction to Stauss to take the file; Morgan wasn't challenging Emily, he was asking her, as a friend, to be the one to take the decision to decide if the file was important. Strauss still kept him in check with her gun. He knew he could take Strauss, armed, he knew he could take Emily, unarmed, he knew he had no choices in this moment. He had to trust Hotch's judgment as to which file Reid would need; which file would protect Reid, and which would put Reid in danger.

Emily nodded at the file, as she glanced at the contents. Then she tilted her head, there was a sign of a smile. Morgan held his breath. Strauss didn't avert her gaze, that meant nothing with Strauss, she might get angry, she might get defensive, but she didn't blink.

Emily handed the file back to Morgan. "Didn't find what you were looking for?"

Absolution.

Morgan, as smooth as silk, and he could play any lady he chose, except Garcia, and his Mother, and JJ, when he thought about, and Emily. He couldn't play Emily, but she owed him, and Strauss had a much of his capital had been used when he by passed Strauss and handed Emily the file, he had blatantly asked her for a favour. He prayed Garcia wouldn't look for him. His phone was off, to allow him to step out of the sight of Jason Gideon.

Morgan picked which piece of truth he should tell, for which piece of the truth was Emily asking? He would keep Garcia's secret, and Reid's.

"Jason Gideon?"

Emily and Strauss looked one to the other, cautiously relieved.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

from CNN Teach, March 7, 2013, Michael Martinez , (CNN)**-**

"Aaron Swartz, an Internet savant who at a young age shaped the online era by co-developing RSS and Reddit and later became a digital activist, has committed suicide."

**Author's notes:- Sort of technical bridging chapter. Sorry I took so long to do this. I haven't been on top of anything for a while—just the average chaos of a fan-girl's life. I felt like I needed to get on with this, I need to return to the surveillance state, and CISPA, while it is dead for now it is like the living dead of legislation, and snitches. Aaron Schwartz also held develop "creative commons", a replacement for traditional copy right law.**


	8. Chapter 8

Aaron couldn't figure out how to reach his phone. Things were out of hand; he himself was out of hand. Reid could be hard to control at the best of times, now he was completely out of hand. Hotch added to his list of problems with Reid; not the least of which was that he, Aaron Hotchner, had just had the best sex of his life; that Spencer didn't trust people with whom he had sex.

"You need this?" Spencer passed Aaron's phone to him. Spencer stood up, picked up his clothes, and headed toward the kitchen. "This probably needs to be a private call." His look was pleading, but he hadn't intended to make this hard, harder, for Aaron.

"Prentiss?" Hotch hadn't expected Emily to answer Erin's phone, Erin hadn't trusted him, she had called Emily in without consulting him. "Is Alex there yet?" He was playing a hand he didn't have, more Reid's style and his own.

Emily shook her head. She knew something was wrong, but thus far she didn't know what.

"Did you sleep with him?"

Aaron Hotchner's face drew into the tight lines Spencer had released for him not an hour ago. He looked down. Aaron Hotchner did many things, but he didn't lie.

Aaron had enough, more than enough, to bring Spencer in on hacking charges. If he had had the evidence against Elle he would have arrested her for murder. He wasn't quite sure for what Spencer should be arrested, stealing of government documents by hacking—that was clear, classified documents, publishing of classified material, publishing of classified material that aided the enemy, had Spencer published unclassified material that aided the enemy? That wouldn't help him. The US government could prosecute a citizen for publishing unclassified material that aided the enemy; sometimes the law was indefensible. Could any of what Reid had done be considered espionage? What had happened in the FBI hack that Jason Gideon was so eager to cover up? What for that matter did Spencer know about Pakistan? That could be worse, way worse, what could be published if he didn't contain Spencer now. He had found the hacker from 2002, and the hacker was Spencer Reid—they had known about Garcia, but the addition of Reid, Reid and Gracia working together, changed everything they thought they knew. He had reasonable surety that Reid and Garcia were the DOJ hackers from 2011. But, what might be his real problem was that Spencer could be the mole from 2011.

"Yes."

Dr. Spencer Reid knew how to use sex to acquire what he needed. Sleeping with someone should matter, giving oneself over to a lover should matter, being loved should matter, and to Aaron Hotchner it mattered deeply.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex paused outside of Hotch's office. There appeared to be a conference going on in there, a conference with guns, and no Hotch, and with Morgan. She thought the better of joining in immediately; only Morgan could see her, a tactical error on Prentiss and Erin's part. She wouldn't let herself trust Erin again.

"The video is off." It wasn't a question; it was a statement from Erin Strauss.

Morgan wondered if he about to be interrogated without his Miranda rights read. The camera being off was either really good or really bad. He looked up and glanced at Alex Blake through the blinds.

Blake texted Aaron Hotchner.

Morgan realized that either Strauss had cut the feed herself, or she knew of Garcia's involvement, or she was willing to call his bluff—which might mean she was drinking again, but then why would Emily be with her? Why was Emily here at all? Why wasn't she in London?

Director Strauss' phone rang, and Emily, without permission reached over and took it from Strauss' jacket pocket. "Hotch." Emily stated, looking at Erin, still avoiding Morgan's gaze, she looked at the screen for another moment before picking up. Director Strauss hadn't taken her gaze off of Morgan's face, or her gun off of target.

"Did you sleep with him?"

Morgan forced himself to not react. Was it a set up? Had Hotch slept with Reid as a set-up? On the upside Emily hadn't asked if Reid was dead. Morgan watched as she cut the call, she just hung up.

Here came the interrogation.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hotch watched as the screen closed, and poped back to his default.

Aaron picked up the text.

"Prentiss, Stauss, Morgan in your office."

Aaron smiled, the linguist in Blake couldn't accept txt language.

When he read the next line he didn't smile. "Emily/Erin have Morgan at gunpoint. Advise?"

Hotch didn't .

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morgan had a choice to make, and he chose to trust Emily, and Hotch, and by association, Strauss.

"Gideon." Morgan offered, unprompted.

Erin twitched her gun, just a little, just enough to remind Morgan that there was a problem here and he was that problem.

"Gideon sent a file," Morgan rested his elbows on his knees, he pressed his fingers together, he looked a little down and then up at both Emily and Strauss. He continued, "to my computer. It showed Gideon holding Kevin at gun-point." He paused.

There was a look of recognition on Strauss' face, a flicker of eyes between the women. They knew about this.

Morgan could see Alex texting, moving away from the window.

"And," Derrick continued, "forcing Kevin out of his apartment."

Now the ladies looked briefly at each other.

They hadn't seen the full tape, now Morgan had a hand to play, but it was the hand that Jason Gideon had dealt.

Morgan kept his focus on Straus and her Beretta, a nice gun for a lady. Emily knew he could take that gun while Erin was distracted, she knew his compliance was either a gesture of goodwill; or Morgan drawing out more information; or intended to distract while help was on the way, was help on the way? Morgan looked at Emily and Strauss; a look passed between the ladies. Emily nodded. Did she outrank Strauss?

"Was Garcia with you?" Emily's voice was gentle, the good cop voice.

Morgan was immediately on guard; and in mentioning Jason Gideon and the video he had started answering questions; he had started answering questions without charges or a Miranda, and he had been stealing FBI data, or was it CIA. "Am I accused of anything?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aaron pulled his clothes on, immediately immaculate.

Spencer fussed around in the kitchen pretending to have some urgent looking in cabinets to do. Aaron finishing his tie, looking darker than Spencer had seen in a while, stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Neither said anything. Spencer flashed to the same thought Morgan had earlier, "Am I going to be interrogated without Miranda rights?" He knew Hotch would be fully within the law to do so. He also knew better than to goad Hotch. He kept quiet.

Aaron couldn't think of an explanation to give to Reid. Not a truthful explanation. He turned and walked out of the apartment closing the front door behind him while Spencer re-arranged cups.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ried watched Hotch take a taxi.

Spencer was screwed, utterly screwed. Garcia might well be more screwed than he, she wasn't a trained FBI field agent. From the call on his burner phone Reid knew Penelope, Apraxia, was trouble; if he hadn't had his cock in his boss he would have picked up. He pulled the SIM card out of the phone and threw it in the microwave—not too long he didn't want to bring attention to himself by setting Garcia's building on fire.

Spencer Reid looked out into the gathering dark. He didn't like breaking and entering, didn't like climbing out of windows, though that part was easy, he didn't like cutting his own hair, though that was non-negotiable, he put on a change of identity at Garcia's. He threw his current papers, one by one, in the garbage disposal. He didn't think time was central here, if Hotch had wanted to arrest him that would have happened, what was central was disappearing—Aaron had given him a shot at it.

Spencer wondered if he should destroy the information about Pakistan that would implicate—that did implicated Aaron, Hotch—in some, Spencer paused, barbarous acts. Not the acts themselves, but allowing intelligence to be gathered using torture. Aaron Hotchner had the documents, Spencer Reid had read those documents, even Penelope Garcia didn't know about those documents. Aaron Hotchner was a good man, a man who loved his son, a man to whom not two hours before, Spencer had declared his love. Hotch was a man whose dedication to the law had cost people their lives.

Out the door, pick the neighbor's lock, out the neighbor's window, down the drain pipe (thank god for old buildings and field training, and adrenalin) and into the night. He knew how to move in the dark, years of selling himself had taught him the art of invisibility. He hated it that he had to rely on those skills, that that particular past could never be left quite behind. He strolled into a box store, ducking his head past the surveillance camera he knew was there without looking, he bought a burner phone cash, he bought a pre-paid debit card cash, he kept his head down. One use was all he had on the phone, he couldn't call Garcia, he shouldn't call Morgan, he knew Emily and Strauss were in on it, Alex, he had no idea which side of things she stood, he was quite sure she had a side though, he was compromised enough that he shouldn't call JJ, he wouldn't call Rossi, anyone who would sell out a child to advance their career he couldn't trust, Jason was still in the wind. Reid concluded to his annoyance that he had spent some precious cash so he could call Hotch. He added to his own array of complications being irrationally in love with Aaron Hotchner.

The streets of DC were easy enough to navigate, with an eidetic memory and an affinity for maps Reid could find, or loose, himself in the city. Reid purchased a second hand laptop at a no-questions-asked-open-whenever-necessary establishment, he sat himself down, discreetly near an apartment building, and waited for an unsuspecting internet user, an innocent who left their internet access unencrypted, to come online, he hopped into the data stream installed mIRC, created an identity and logged onto server, he allowed his IRC to move servers as needed, and pinged Apraxia. He waited for Jason Gideon. Spencer Reid didn't like being played for the fool.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks for reading, and for bearing with me in spite of my erratic updates. This is much harder to write than I had thought it would be.


End file.
